Veterans present wreaths at Freedom Wall on Memorial Day

WASHINGTON - Veterans presented wreaths in a ceremony and observance for Memorial Day on Monday.

A crowd gathered around the World War II Memorial to watch the event which was co-hosted by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial and the National Park Service.

The ceremony paid tribute to the more than 400,000 Americans who lost their lives during the war.

Among those taking part were Nathaniel Thomas, a member of the Chickasaw Nation from Blanchard, Oklahoma, who served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific on a Navy repair ship near the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, Philippines.

Other participating WWII veterans included:

Army veteran Melvin Bielawski of Virginia

Army Air Forces veteran Frank Ettinger of Virginia

Army veteran Donald Seefeldt of New York

Navy veteran Bernard Stephan of Pennsylvania

Army veteran Herman Zeitchik of Maryland

Grammy Award-nominated songwriter Bob Regan and country music artist Rockie Lynne performed songs, and young students who traveled from France delivered remarks as part of a school program meant to honor American veterans who fought in France during the war.